Freestanding gas stove

[potter]

I currently have a gas box heater as back up heat for our small house (under 1000, inc. basement). It works ok, at 35,000 btus will heat the house when callled upon. Live pilot and inefficient, though, and ugly. Any suggestions?
Things I've found online:
Lennox Vision
Enviro Cara
Hearthston and Heat and Glo and Scan all make very pricey versions- probably too much. But looking for rs a nice minimal thing.
Looked at the Lopi Berkshire- bigger footprint, older style, anyu good?
Will any of these be substantially more efficient? The current one is about 20 yrs. old. I use propane.
Any thoughts appreciated.

 

[potter]

Vented to clay lined race. 8x8 o.d. in stone chimney. About 16' ft. to roof. Assume a DV could be piped up.

 

[potter]

Yes, I assumed it will need a double pipe. And the efficiency rates are all over the place- efficiency, Canadian rules, F.U. something, something.... But doubt this ones 50%- especially with the standing pilot.

 

[DAKSY]

There is a masonry adapter kit available from Simpson DuraVent that will allow you to hook up a DV gas stove to an existing Terra Cotta lined chimney.
It has a 4" aluminum liner to exhaust out. The intake (combustion) air comes in thru the cap & down thru the space between the 4" liner & the flue tile...
You're burning a Jotul wood stove...Jotul makes some nice lookin gas units...
You mentioned 35K btu - I take it that's input, correct?
If you're at 50% you're only getting 17.5k out of it...
A Jotul GF 300 Allagash will give you 17.5 K btu at about 25% capacity of the valve with near 80% efficiency...
Cost for the unit is about $1900, venting another $4-500...
It'll start paying for itself as soon as you turn it on...

 

[potter]

There is a masonry adapter kit available from Simpson DuraVent that will allow you to hook up a DV gas stove to an existing Terra Cotta lined chimney.
It has a 4" aluminum liner to exhaust out. The intake (combustion) air comes in thru the cap & down thru the space between the 4" liner & the flue tile...
You're burning a Jotul wood stove...Jotul makes some nice lookin gas units...
You mentioned 35K btu - I take it that's input, correct?
If you're at 50% you're only getting 17.5k out of it...
A Jotul GF 300 Allagash will give you 17.5 K btu at about 25% capacity of the valve with near 80% efficiency...
Cost for the unit is about $1900, venting another $4-500...
It'll start paying for itself as soon as you turn it on...

Great feedback, thanks. I made up the 50%- a number thrown at me by the heating guys working on it when I asked about efficiency. I believe 35000 is th max output on the stove label, but I have a limited understanding of this......made by Martin Industries.

 

[DAKSY]

I made up the 50%- a number thrown at me by the heating guys working on it when I asked about efficiency. I believe 35000 is th max output on the stove label, but I have a limited understanding of this......made by Martin Industries

35000 is probably the INPUT rating...Very few -if any - units have the actual btu output listed on the rating plate. Again, the efficiency times the input = the output.
Martin, Regency, Superior, Jotul whatever...they all pretty much work the same way - at least the standing pilot units do...
It's probably time for a new one...

 

[potter]

[quote author="DAKSY" date="1230346761"] I made up the 50%- a number thrown at me by the heating guys working on it when I asked about efficiency. I believe 35000 is th max output on the stove label, but I have a limited understanding of this......made by Martin Industries

35000 is probably the INPUT rating...Very few -if any - units have the actual btu output listed on the rating plate. Again, the efficiency times the input = the output.
Martin, Regency, Superior, Jotul whatever...they all pretty much work the same way - at least the standing pilot units do...
It's probably time for a new one...[/quotee

What kind of fuel savings between a newer electronic pilot? Also, I don't understand the peizo electric thing. It's important in the event of a power failure this will keep on working. I'd appreciate being brought up to speed if you have the time....

 

[DAKSY]

What kind of fuel savings between a newer electronic pilot? Also, I don't understand the peizo electric thing. It's important in the event of a power failure this will keep on working. I'd appreciate being brought up to speed if you have the time

Basically, the newer Intermittent Pilot Ignition units - & I haven't seen a whole lot of freestanders equipped with such - only ignite the pilot when you call for the burner to light. They will save you the cost of between 800 - 1200 btu/hr of having a constant gasflow/pilot burn...
They generally have a battery back-up - at least the Heat n Glo units do - which become necessary for ignition when there's a power failure.
The thing to be wary of is the condition of your batteries. The ignition units use 3vdc & the 100/120vac uses a transformer for conversion...
The battery back-up units hold two "D" size batteries. Each is rated at 1.5 vdc...The problem arises when you have marginally charged batteries. The 3 vdc ignition is a minimum voltage & it is very sensitive...
...2.99999995 vdc may not ignite the unit.
You need to have a multimeter with millivolt detection capabilities handy in order to check the battery charges...
Piezo electric units are a simple "sparker" for lack of a better word...
Without getting into the electro-magnetic theory, you press a button & a crystal in the piezo creates a spark. This spark ignites your pilot.
There is no AC voltage required for this type of ignition, so the power grid does not come into play.
You can use this type of ignition in the middle of the arctic or on a desert island if you have gas to the unit...
HTH

 

[potter]

Thanks for that explanation. We do have to worry about power outages- Have a generator for my shop but not the house. I believe the Lopt Berkshire has the peizo electric.....

 

[R&D Guy]

Thanks for that explanation. We do have to worry about power outages- Have a generator for my shop but not the house. I believe the Lopt Berkshire has the peizo electric.....

Looking at the brochure for the Lopi Berkshire it looks like it actually has a heat exchanger built into the design. Check out the second to the last page.

(broken link removed to http://www.lopistoves.com/TravisDocs/98800233.pdf)

It has Aromatheropy?? LMAO!! Anyone ever try it?

I've said this a bunch on this forum; I wouldn't put much into the effeciency numbers listed in the brochures, or listed on the mfg's website. They are an unregulated rating meaning that the mfg's sales department decides what number they want to claim and it isn't confirmed by a 3rd party.

 

[potter]

Thanks for that explanation. We do have to worry about power outages- Have a generator for my shop but not the house. I believe the Lopt Berkshire has the peizo electric.....

Looking at the brochure for the Lopi Berkshire it looks like it actually has a heat exchanger built into the design. Check out the second to the last page.

(broken link removed to http://www.lopistoves.com/TravisDocs/98800233.pdf)

It has Aromatheropy?? LMAO!! Anyone ever try it?

I've said this a bunch on this forum; I wouldn't put much into the effeciency numbers listed in the brochures, or listed on the mfg's website. They are an unregulated rating meaning that the mfg's sales department decides what number they want to claim and it isn't confirmed by a 3rd party.

So, any reccommendations for aproduct of this type?